Speed-vehicle.



(No Modell.)

.. Patented Dec. I6, |902. F. S. STUDDABD &. F. E. WHITNEY.

SPEED VEHICLE.

(Application med Apr. 4, 1902.)

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\ V Patented Dec. 16,1902. F. `S. STDDARD &. F. E. WHITNEY. SPEE'D VEHICLE.

`(Applimation lfiled Apr. 4, 1902.) (No Modal.) l 3 Sheets-fSheet 2.

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n s.-sTonnARn"&l F, E. WHITNEY. SPEED VEHICLE.

(Application led Apr. 4, 1902.)

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@"MFREDERICK s, sToDDARD A er `N UNITED *STATES ATRNT rIuon.

ND FRANKLIN E. WHITNEY, ou sYRAoUsE,

`NEw YoRK.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 716,133, dated Decemberl, 1902. Appunti@ sied 11m14.190s. serial ND. 101.378. (No man.)

To afZZ whois/t it may concern.-

Be it known that. `we, FREDERIoK S. SToD- DARD and FRANKLIN E. WHITNEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the `county ofOnonda'ga and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Im provementsuir SpeedVehicles, of which the following isavfull, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to a speed-vehiclethat is tosay, to atype ot' vehicle suitable for driving at high speeds.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the wheels in'dotted lines and the balance of the vehicle in full lines. Fig. 2 is a-section through the fifth-wheel, taken upon theline c of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan of the tifthwheel and adjacent parts, the body of the ve- 'hicle being removed. Fig. v4 is a longitudinal section upon the line y y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of l`one end of the front axle and parts accompanying the same. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5 and somewhat enlarged. Fig. 7 is afragmentary plan View showing certain parts of the rear axle. f Fig. 8 is a sectional detail of the means used for securing the draw-irons in place. Fig. 9 is a detail, partly in section, showing the means for securing the tubular'spindles in position. t

Thebody 1 ofthe vehicle is provided with a bottom 2, to which is rigidly secured a circle 3` by means ofbolts 4 5, said circle consti-A tuting a so-called fixed member of the ifth wheel. Immediately adjacent to this fixed circle is the movable circle 6, supported in stirrups 7 and providedwith slots 8 9,1

through which the bolts 4 5 extend and are i fastened by means of the nuts lO 11.

A king-bolt 12 passes centrally through the bottom and supports `a hollow gudgeon 13, provided with a bearing 14, which rests in a cup 16 in the center of the crown-plate 15. This king-bolt passes through the hole 17 in the crown-plate and also through the cross-beam 18, being secured in place by the nut 19, the

end 2O of the king-bolt being threaded for this purpose. Each of the axles is a composite structure comprising longitudinal tubular members 21 22, each member being Hattened, so as to present an elliptical cross-section, and bent around, so that its ends are practically brought together, and then curved at right angles to the plane of the ellipse, as shown. These tubular members are rigidly supported in brackets 23 24,which are secured to the movable circle 6 of the fifth-wheel by means of bol ts 25 and are integrally provided With elliptical eyes 26 27, encircling the flattened tubes. The tubes are engaged by oval thimbles 28 29, which are integral with. the crown plate 15. Eyes 30 31 are integrally mounted upon these thimbles. The trussrods 32 33 are provided with jam-nuts 34 35, whereby said truss rods are secured to the eyes 3l.

The cross-beam 18 is provided with a swell 36, through which the king-bolt 12 passes,and is also provided with guides 37 for holding the two circles 3 and 6 in a proper relation to each other, and the cross-beam is secured to the bottom by means of bolts 38. The lower member of the fifth-wheel is thus enabled to move slidably in relation to the upper inember thereof. The bolts 38 are provided at i their lower ends with nuts 39 for the purpose of tightening the cross-beam rigidly against the bottom of the vehicle-body.

The oval tubes are passed through the oval eyes 28 29 and bent into the shape shown, af-

`ter which they are secured by brazing or by bolts or rivets, as desired.

When the tubes are bent around as above described, they form what virtually amounts members are mounted the draw-irons, `whereby the shafts are secured to the vehicle. The thimbles44 45 are provided with an integral rod, consisting of arms 48 49, this rod being centrally provided with an eye and-With a shouldered spindle 51, upon which the drawiron 52 is mounted. The lower end 55ZL of the shaft engages this draw-iron. A small trussrod 54 (shown to better advantage in Fig. 5) is mounted upon brackets 56 57 for the purpose of serving as a brace for each of the IOO shafts 55. The spindle 4:1 is screwed upon I spindles mounted upon said axles for engagthe head 42b,which is integral with the double socket 3Q Upon the outer end ot" the spindle is the nut 42, the same being of the usual pattern. The double socket 43 is provided with thickened portions 40 and bosses 41a and mounted upon the lower ends of the members 2l and 22 by meansof the sockets 42.

The general structure of the rear axle is somewhat similar to that Vof the front axle just described and is indicated more particularly in Fig. 7. The tubes 58 59 are flattened, as in the front axle, the smallest diameter being parallel with the plane of the vehiclebody, so that the tubing is placededgewise in the direction of the greatest strain. By means of four body-hangers 60, provided with bolts 61, the tubing is rigidly secured to the bottom of the vehicle-body. The crown-plate 62 is provided-with ribs 63 and with sockets 64, thus making a neat compact member, holding the tubes rigidly in position.

The truss members 65 of the rear axle, like those, 32, ot` the front axle, are each secured at one end in depending eyes of the crownplate and at the other end secured at a point immediately adjacent to the spindle. The truss-rods thus serve to brace the tubing of the axle. The brace 66 upon the rear axle is of course not provided with draw-irons. The truss-rods 65, the tubes 5S, and the brace 66 mutually hold each other in position and form a rigid and compact structure of great strength and simplicity. It will be noted that the shafts are fastened at a point lower than the bottom of the vehicle, and yet higher than the spindles of the front axles. The point indicated we have found to be most advantageous for securing the shafts. If the drawirons be placed at a point higher than this, the animal Will to some extent be pulling the vehicle toward the earth, thus increasing the friction. If placed lower than this, he will be lifting the vehicle to some extent instead of pulling the same horizontally.

The spindles are made, preferably, of steel tubing, and each one is located at a right angle to the vehicle-body.

It will be noted that the fifth-wheel is practically as wide as the vehicle-body. This makes a stronger construction and at the same time tends to prevent any undue rocking movement and also to prevent an excess of lost motion When the Vehicle is strained into different positions. Each of the axles, considered as a Whole, is substantially bowshaped, as indicated in Fig. 1, the centers, however, being straight for the purpose of engaging the narrow vehicle-body.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A speed-vehicle, comprising a body and longitudinal axles, said axles being composite structures built up of crown-plates, liattened tubing secured thereto and disposed edgewise ing the hubs of the wheels.

2. A speed-vehicle, comprising a body and longitudinal axles, said axles being composite structures built up of crown-plates, flattened tubing secured thereto and disposed edgewise in the direction of the greatest strain,

said axles being bent into a general bow\ shape, and spindles mounted upon said axles adjacent to the ends thereof and substantially at right angles to the general longitudinal direction of said ends.

3. A speed-vehicle, comprising a body portion and a composite axle, said axle consisting of a crown-plate provided with sockets, longitudinal tubes mounted'in said sockets and curved into substantially elliptical shapes, spindles mounted upon the ends of said tubes, and truss-rods for bracing said tubes and said spindles.

4. A speed-vehicle, comprising a body portion and a composite axle, said axle consisting of a crown-plate provided with sockets, longitudinal tubes passing through said sockets and curved into substantially elliptical shapes, spindles mounted upon the ends of said tubes, truss-rods for bracing said tubes, brackets mounted upon said tubes and engaging said truss-rods, and draw-irons mounted upon said brackets for the purpose of supporting the shafts.

5. A speed-vehicle, comprising a body portion and a composite axle, said axle consisting of a crown-plate provided with sockets, longitudinal tubes of elliptical cross-section engaging said sockets, and spindles mounted upon the ends of said tubes.

6. A speed-vehicle, comprising a body p0rtion and a composite axle, said axle consisting of a crown-plate provided with sockets, 1ongitudinal tubes of elliptical cross-section engaging said sockets, spindles mounted adjacent to the ends of said tubes, truss-rods for bracing said tubes, brackets itted upon said tubes and serving to brace the same, and draw-irons mounted upon said brackets.

7 A speed-vehicle, comprising a body portion, a fifth-wheel having two members, one of said members being rigidly secured to said body portion and the other member being movable relatively to the same, a crown-plate provided with sockets, guides connecting said crown-plate with the movable member of said fth-wheel, longitudinal tubes engaging said sockets and bent into substantially elliptical form, and spindles mounted upon said tubes for engaging the wheel-hubs.

8. A speed-vehicle, comprising a body, a fifth-wheel having upper and lower circles, said upper circle being rigidly secured to said body and said lower circle being movable relatively to said upper circle, a crown -plate, guides connecting said crown-plate with the lower circle of said fifth-wheel, said crownplate being provided with sockets, longitudinal tubes engaging said sockets and bent into in the direction of the greatest strain, and substantially elliptical form,spindles mount- IOO IIO

edupon said tubes for engaging the Wheelhubs, and truss-rods connecting said center plate and said spindles.

9. Aspeed-vehicle, comprising a body, a

fifth-Wheel having two members, one of said members being rigidly secured to said body and the other member being movable relatively to the same, a crown-plate provided with sockets, guides connecting said crownplate with said movable member of said fifth- Wheel, longitudinal tubes engaging said sockets of said crown-plate and bent into substantially elliptical form., spindles mounted upon said tubes for engaging Wheel-hubs,

truss-rods connecting said center plate and 15 said spindles, brackets mounted upon said tubes and engaging said truss-rods, and drawirons mounted upon said brackets for supporting the shafts.

In testimony whereof We have signed our zo i names to this specication in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FREDERICK S. STODDARD. FRANKLIN E. WHITNEY.

Witnesses:

M. Z. STODDARD, L. STODDARD. 

